I tried xxClone

[Timothy Daniels]

xxClone worked to copy a single bootable partition from one
hard drive to another, but it made the copy file-by-file and it
took about 10 times longer than Drive Image's or Ghost's
sector-by-sector copy. The destination partition had to also
be pre-made and pre-formatted - it won't copy to "unallocated
area" like the other utilities. The copy does end up very well
de-fragged due to the file-by-file copying, but that isn't a real
"clone" is it?

I really wish I could get my Drive Image 7.0 to work again.
It started freezing my computer maybe about the time that
I installed SP2 in my WinXP Pro. Anybody else have that
experience?

*TimDaniels*

 

[Peter]

xxClone worked to copy a single bootable partition from one

hard drive to another, but it made the copy file-by-file and it
took about 10 times longer than Drive Image's or Ghost's
sector-by-sector copy. The destination partition had to also
be pre-made and pre-formatted - it won't copy to "unallocated
area" like the other utilities. The copy does end up very well
de-fragged due to the file-by-file copying, but that isn't a real
"clone" is it?

You are correct. It is not a real clone. For example SFNs might
get recreated differently. But in most cases that is not a problem.

I really wish I could get my Drive Image 7.0 to work again.
It started freezing my computer maybe about the time that
I installed SP2 in my WinXP Pro. Anybody else have that
experience?

Did you try a clean install of slipstreamed XP SP2 and
Drive Image 7.0 only?

 

[Rod Speed]

xxClone worked to copy a single bootable partition from one hard drive to
another, but it made the copy file-by-file

Yeah, xxcopy does too, and yes, thats quite slow.

and it took about 10 times longer than Drive Image's or Ghost's
sector-by-sector copy.

DI, Ghost and True Image dont do sector by sector copying
normally, because many have the destination a different size to
the original, because its mostly used when upgrading the boot drive.

Ghost doesnt even do it by default, tho you can use a switch to force that.

The destination partition had to also be pre-made and pre-formatted - it won't
copy to "unallocated area" like the other utilities.

The copy does end up very well de-fragged due to the file-by-file copying, but
that isn't a real "clone" is it?

Depends entirely on how you define a 'real' clone, see above.

I really wish I could get my Drive Image 7.0 to work again.
It started freezing my computer maybe about the time that
I installed SP2 in my WinXP Pro. Anybody else have that
experience?

Nope, and I have used it since XP SP2.

I've got a vague recollection that there is something on that
in the Symantec knowledgebase or somewhere about that.

I much prefer Acronis True Image now over DI and Ghost.

I prefer it to DI because the lan ops are completely automatic.
DI is a bit of a pain if the NIC isnt in the native supported list,
tho rather better than Ghost 2003 in that area.

Ghost 9 has other downsides that I reported on here, particularly
with cloning. Basically you cant do it from the bootable CD, you
have to do it from the installed Ghost and it didnt even work
reliably, tho I was too lazy to check for updates because
of that problem that you cant do it from the bootable CD.

TI isnt perfect, the support forum has quite a list of
quirks, mostly with unusual hardware, and they have
a hell of a capacity for fixing something thats been
reported and then the problem turns up again in a later
release. Thats evidence of very poor source code control.

It is however the best of the bunch currently tho, even tho it isnt perfect.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

Timothy Daniels wrote:
DI, Ghost and True Image dont do sector by sector copying
normally, because many have the destination a different size
to the original, because its mostly used when upgrading the
boot drive.

I'm not clear on the "smart copy" in Drive Image, but I
thought that avoided copying parts of the partition where
there is no data.

Nope, and I have used it since XP SP2.

OK, thanks for the clue. At least the problem isn't SP2.

Since so much of the feature set of all drive copy utilities
is automated and incremental backup to asorted external
media, you'd think there would be a simple cheap utitlity
that did nothing but clone a partition to another internal
IDE drive but do it well. I'd think that some company would
even give it away free so it could act as a come-on to its other
more elaborate versions. (But no....) Jeez, Symantec, how
about just a Ghost Lite? Who even needs a GUI? - command
line input with a bootable floppy or CD would be enough.

*TimDaniels*

 

[Timothy Daniels]

Did you try a clean install of slipstreamed XP SP2 and
Drive Image 7.0 only?

Well, that does sound logical. If it worked, I'd know it wasn't
SP2 and that it's maybe Visual Studio .NET or SQL Server or
Norton Anti-Virus or Norton Personal Firewall or Nero Burning
or some other software. <groaaaan> That could take a week
to investigate. C'mon, People! I want a QUICK FIX!!

*TimDaniels*

 

[Lil' Dave]

Would consider NET framework as the primary suspect. MS has a security
update out on it. Its available through windowsupdate in XP. It may have
botched that particular update. Ver 1.1 is latest. Ver 2.0 is in the
works.

 

[Rod Speed]

Well, that does sound logical. If it worked, I'd know it wasn't
SP2 and that it's maybe Visual Studio .NET or SQL Server or
Norton Anti-Virus or Norton Personal Firewall or Nero Burning
or some other software. <groaaaan> That could take a week
to investigate. C'mon, People! I want a QUICK FIX!!

Soorreee... fresh out of magic wands to wave.

 

[Rod Speed]

Rod Speed wrote

I'm not clear on the "smart copy" in Drive Image, but I thought that avoided
copying parts of the partition where there is no data.

Its much more complicated than JUST that, essentially
because it has to allow for the most common situation
where the source and destination arent the same size.

OK, thanks for the clue. At least the problem isn't SP2.

On the other hand I do vaguely recall something
along those lines being mentioned, so maybe its
SP2 with something else that matters.

Since so much of the feature set of all drive copy utilities
is automated and incremental backup to asorted external
media, you'd think there would be a simple cheap utitlity
that did nothing but clone a partition to another internal
IDE drive but do it well.

That isnt actually something thats done that much.

Its MUCH more common that the original and the clone
are different sizes, so the alg used has to allow for that.

I'd think that some company would even give it away free

Some of the hard drive manufacturers do just that.

so it could act as a come-on to its other more elaborate versions. (But
no....)

Its unlikely that many would need the
more elaborate versions, so they dont.

Jeez, Symantec, how about just a Ghost Lite?

I expect software has more to do with that lucifer fella.

Who even needs a GUI? - command line input with a bootable floppy or CD would
be enough.

Dinosaur stuff, tho some of the hard drive
manufacturers have gone that route.

Zvi's ute likely fits the description, but it aint free.

 

[Peter]

Did you try a clean install of slipstreamed XP SP2 and

Well, that does sound logical. If it worked, I'd know it wasn't
SP2 and that it's maybe Visual Studio .NET or SQL Server or
Norton Anti-Virus or Norton Personal Firewall or Nero Burning
or some other software. <groaaaan> That could take a week
to investigate. C'mon, People! I want a QUICK FIX!!

Try this idea:
http://groups.google.dk/[email protected]#link1